Urban design

Latz+Partner, a new square in Holland

Green space and water features, benches, a theatre, a skatepark, even a zoo: it's the big new square designed by the landscape architects Latz+Partner in the town of Emmen, in northern Holland

From a carpark to a public space with a capital “s”. This project that was completed by the Latz+Partner studio in the centre of the Dutch town of Emmen (in northern Holland) is a good example of how an urban environment can be designed on a human scale, as if it were part of the landscape.

Covering a 26,400-square-metre area, Raadhuisplein has become one of the biggest and most frequented squares in the region, integrating many functions and needs of a wide swath of the population. There is a skatepark, green space, benches for resting on, a fountain where you can swim and play, a theatre and even a zoo for the little ones.

Raadhuisplein by Latz+Partner: pond and playground. (Photo by Theo Berends)

The carpark and road were relocated below street level, leaving space on the surface for nice new “ingredients” – vegetation, light, water and stone – which together contribute to the look and identity of the environment.

On one side of the square the pavement, made of granite slabs, follows along the edge of a canal and encloses a mixture of decorative bushes, perennial plants and grasses that provide the space with natural beauty throughout seasons. On the other side, where there is a slight incline, the paving stones are wet by an artificial lake that bubbles up from a 15-cm-deep fountain where kids can play games of splash, get a respite from the heat and have fun on hot summer days. If needed the water can be drained and the stone surface used as a stage or an area to set up seating.

Raadhuisplein by Latz+Partner: children play on the surface of the water between the fountain’s jets. (Photo by Theo Berends)

Along with the water, another point of great interest is the terrace, which invites passersby to stop and get some sun. A bench extends along the central path, turning into an elevated wooden platform; it’s actually an illuminated seating area-sculpture made up of floating forms.

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